Feelings are a traitorous thing
by NukalurkCakes
Summary: Rejection hit Ana hard and forced her to order Charon out of her life. When word reaches Underworld of her capture by slavers, he drops everything to rescue his employer. Old feelings resurface for the broken ex-vaultie but can Charon make amends with his guilt to reciprocate his feeling buried deep within his heart? Might change rating in later chapters. (Charon, F!LW)
1. Rejection is a traitorous thing

**Disclaimer: I love me some fallout but I don't own it or the characters cos' if I did there would be a lot more lovin' going around!**

 **Review cos' I can't judge my own writing you beautiful creature!**

* * *

They were fighting again. Sometimes it seemed like that's all they did but lately it was getting worse and this specific fight made Charon uncomfortable because it was about _feelings_. The word by itself was spoken as if it was taboo to him which was exactly the problem she was having.

"I don't understand how you can't love me the way I love you!" She yelled.

"Ana these things don't come easy for me, you can't expect something like this to happen overnight!" He yelled back.

The situation was awkward and he couldn't help but look everywhere but her as she yelled at him for being as emotionless as a brick wall except for when he's fighting or angry.

It all started back in Megaton when he walked in on her writing into a little booklet. She quickly closed it and flushed pink before yelling at him to get out of her room and forget he saw anything. That night he heard a clatter in her room and ran wielding his shot gun to make sure she was okay and found the book laying open on the ground by her desk as she snored lightly. He picked it up to set it back on the desk and his name was spotted on one of the pages. Curiosity got the better of him and he froze as he read Ana's written thoughts. _"Charon and I were fighting for our lives against some Super Mutants out in the Wastes today and as I watched him fight for me whether it was for the contract or not, I fell in love. That must be what this is, I'm in love with him."_

He wasn't prepared for that and the following days he began to distance himself back to when he first became her bodyguard which displeased her causing them to be in this current fight. She was openly admitting she was in love with him and it made him fidget awkwardly.

She was wildly flinging her assault rifle around as she yelled and accidentally pressed the trigger. She wasn't prepared for the recoil and when it happened she dropped the gun and her body slumped to the left as she braced herself for the hard ground.

Instead she was met with warm arms wrapping themselves around her as Charon caught her and she looked up into his face. He gave her a glare that would kill if it could and she glared back feeling her cheeks flush from the close proximity and the embarrassment of what just happened. His face softened and turned to one as if to say 'sorry' and she couldn't bring herself to look at him any longer as the feeling of rejection flooded her whole body.

"Look at me." he ordered.

When she didn't make any movement he gripped her chin and forced her to look at him.

"There will be no more discussion of this. Do you understand?" He said face turning stern.

She pushed herself forcibly out of his grip and grabbed her rifle swinging it onto her back before looking at him with cold furious eyes.

"I'm not a fucking child." She pushed passed him and began walking away. "Let's fucking go."

* * *

The walk back to Megaton was one of the worse experiences of his life. Any sound he made received a death glare form her and he couldn't do anything but stare at her with disappointment and anger flooding through him. _Could she be any more childish?_

Anytime her Pipboy beeped signalling an enemy she would huff and stomp her way into the direction until she could spot what it was. No matter what the creature was she would give a loud battle cry and run straight for it not bothering to take out her weapon as she either stomped, punched or kicked the thing to death.

She only pulled her gun out of it was a Raider who had their own weapon or a Deathclaw that couldn't be punched to death. She was seething with rage by the end of every gruesome fight and she wanted nothing more than to obliterate anything that came at her. It made his stomach turn in knots of guilt and pity, all she was doing was throwing a big temper tantrum that would eventually get herself killed.

When they walked into Underworld she was caked in blood and every ghoul looked mortified as she stomped up the stairs towards the bar he knew so well. After he killed his previous employer, Carol and Greta knocked down the wall and added it to their own store to keep it running. It was a booming business and they didn't seem the least bit shocked when Ana sat down and ordered a bottle of Scotch and a towel to wipe herself off.

Charon didn't bother follow her, instead he went to his bed and laid down sighing at what a tough day he'd had. He was built this way-to not feel anything and no matter how much he tried to tell her that, she wouldn't listen. She was aggravating and he didn't know how long he could keep her alive if she continued to go through her days like today. He eventually passed out listening to the bustling of his surrounding.

He woke right at the crack of dawn and noted Ana had made it to bed, granted not her own bed. She had taken off her shirt and was laying in just her bra and pants and somehow she was missing a boot. He sighed and covered her with the blanket he was laying on and stood up walking out of the building to get some fresh air and a smoke.

He watched the Muties meander through their trenches and finished off his smoke flicking it off the side. He stood there for an extra minute deciding if he should take out another smoke or deal with Ana who was probably waking up by now. He shifted his weight and turned back towards the doors just as they opened and Ana walked through rubbing her eyes.

"Charon, what are you doing out here?" She said yawning.

"Was getting some air." He said pushing passed her to underworld.

She followed him inside to their beds and began packing for the day. "God my head. Where is my other boot?" She said looking around her with one eye squinted close.

"You slept like that. Would you like me to get another pair?" He asked still putting items into his own bag.

"Yeah, would ya?" She said turning back to her bag.

He went to Tulip and bought a new pair of boots and brought them back. Ana was laying back down with her arm over her eyes to block out the light and he placed the boots on her stomach and she groaned lifting herself up to put them on.

He stood above her and watched her lace her boots up. "You were really reckless yesterday."

Her hands stopped lacing and she placed them on her knees as she looked up at Charon with piercing eyes that made him flinch slightly.

"Fuck you." She sneered standing up to try and match him in intensity.

"You should be more careful." He said calmly not wanting to start a fight again.

"Why, your job too hard for you now?"

"That's not the problem."

"No? Then what is?" She wasn't hiding the malice in her voice as she spoke.

"It's unhealthy for your being."

She scoffed. "You know what the problem is? You, you're my problem." She pointed a finger at his chest and pushed him slightly.

He glared at her but didn't say anything.

"Got nothing to say like fucking usual!" Her voice was rising. "Why don't you stay here for the day. Let me be reckless on my own so I don't inconvenience you too much!"

"Is that an order?" His voice was rising too and he regretted it the moment he said it because he knew what she would say.

"You know what, yah it is. You fucking rot here till I get back." She said grabbing her bag and stomped her way out of underworld.

"Bitch." He said under his breath and set his bag down laying back into his bed before punching the wall above him causing a hole which Carol yelled at him for.


	2. Negligence is a traitorous thing

He didn't think she was mad enough to leave him in Underworld for 5 months.

If anything he thought she would come back by the end of that day but it's been nearly half a year and he found himself tilting his head back every time the doors opened. If she was trying to teach him a lesson he would rather her hit him or berate him instead of leaving him by himself to mull over their fight day in and day out.

Days dragged and he tried to ignore the pitied look Carol and Greta gave him as he downed shots night after night. He didn't think he would miss her but he did, terribly. She was the closest thing to a friend he had and although he hated to admit it, the thought of her not coming back for him tug at his heart in ways he didn't understand.

Of course he thought of all the outcomes she could've gotten herself into. Best case scenario she was resting easy in Megaton thinking as much as he was, worst case scenario she was taken or very much dead. He would feel if she was dead though, the contract she held gave them a certain connection where he could practically feel her life. His contact was also the reason he couldn't leave and that made him grumble bitterly as he took another shot.

It was eerily quiet in the bar as he drank and it was driving him crazy enough to ask Greta to turn on the radio in the corner. Three dog's loud voice boomed through the room as he spoke of new events happening around the Wastes. Nothing jumped out at him, Enclave were still shitholes, Brotherhood of steel were still pompous shitholes, Merchants were wandering outside the Wastes for new and interesting items, and still no help for the Lone Wandered captured by slavers... _wait_.

He slammed his drink on the counter breaking the glass in his hands as he stood, a mixture of worry and anger etched on his face and walked over to his bag that hasn't been touched in half a year and left the bar straight for Galaxy News Radio station.

* * *

He slammed his fist on the desk denting it as he growled furiously at the news he just received from Three dog. Ana was captured by slavers 3 months ago outside if the D.C ruins and was being held at Paradise Falls as far as Three dog was told. He had insiders everywhere including the hell hole and the stuff going on there wasn't suitable to be spread through the air so he settled on asking for help throughout the wastes to at least get her out. He thought someone would come to her aid with how many people she helped out there but no one had, not even the Brotherhood bothered even though she risked her life to help them.

The thought of Ana being taken and forced to do the things Three dog was insinuating made Charon's stomach churn and a new anger fled through his veins stronger than any he's ever felt. If he had just switched on the radio he would've gotten the news and gotten her out of there before anything could happen to her.

He lifted himself up and turned to Three dog. "I'm getting her out. We never had this conversation you understand?"

"Just get our hero." Three dog said with a serious look.

He walked out the room barreling down the stairs four steps at a time and ran out the door in the direction of Paradise Falls.

* * *

When he arrived he made no move to be sneaky. Pulling his shotgun from his back he continued to walk dragging it behind him as slavers slowly surfaced from their hiding spots above him. He noted the lack of hostility and feared they knew why he was there but he continued passed the junction of train carts into the clearing where slavers stood in bunches, guns close to their bodies. He quickly scanned over the slaves in the cages but dismissed them as the hard laborers and not the sex slaves.

A man stepped out of the crowd and slowly approached him and he lifted his shot gun as a warning. The man lifted his hands and immediately every gun was pointed on Charon but he didn't back down his stance.

"What are you doing here, _zombie_?" The man said putting his hands down to his sides and flipping his coat back to show off a familiar assault rifle positioned at his hip.

Charon glared at him and the man snickered motioning towards the doors in the far back of the colony.

"Follow me. I think I know what you're lookin' at." The man turned around and flicked his hand towards the people to get back to work.

Charon followed and took in his appearance from the back.

He wore a large tan trench coat and black pants that fit tightly to his calf's. The assault rifle was long enough to touch the ground and leave gagged drag marks as he walked and his bright pink Mohawk contrasted against his dark skin with a face filled with scratch marks and scars.

"Bet an ugly ass such as yourself get's lonely." The man snickered as they walked. "The names beast, I bet you can guess where I got that from!"

He brought Charon through the doors into a dark hallway and they passed a couple of curtains where he heard cries and groans from the thin fabric. It made him cringe and glare at the man in front of him as he was lead to a large room with no windows and the only light was a small lamp in the corner opposite of the girls that lay strewn across the wall bound by their hands and feet.

"You like what you see? Now these girls aren't cheap as you probably know." He waited for a couple seconds but Charon made no sound of confirmation as he scanned the woman.

"If it's a slave you want we can head back ou..."

"No."

Beast smiled wickedly as he continued forward to the first girl, forcibly lifting her head to show him her face. "Just stop me when one stand out to you."

Charon hadn't thought this through enough but this was as good a plan as any.

Most of the girls were drugged but the ones who weren't or were coming off of their high looked at him mortified and begged not to be touched by something as gross as him. It didn't faze him as he continued to turn down every girl, losing hope in one of them being Ana.

As they walked up to the last one the man stuck his hand on her jaw but didn't lift her head, instead he turned back around with a vicious smile etched across his face.

"Now this one is my pride and joy. Knocked her in myself but I gotta warn you, she's feisty and our most expensive." He lifted her face and Charon's heart lept into his throat at the site of his employer drugged out of her mind and being man handled by the mohawked fiend. It took every ounce of him to not kill the bastard and to keep his voice neutral.

"How much?" The words came out as smoothly as he could make them.

"400 caps an hour or 4,000 for the whole day." He kissed her harshly on the lips before standing back up and placing his hands on his hips.

Charon grunted and pulled out the pack of caps he earned from doing odd jobs in Underworld.

"I'll take an hour." He handed the caps to Beast not looking at his face but staring at Ana as she tried to move her her wrists.

"I bet you won't even need 10 minutes!" He howled his laughter and slapped Charon on the shoulder. "I'll have my men put her into a room and call for you. Feel free to wait here or outside."

He turned walking out counting the caps Charon had given him laughing menacingly to himself.

A man walked over to her and forced her up all too hard and threw her over his shoulder and walked out of the room. Charon had to grip his pants and bite his tongue. He was tough but he couldn't take an entire town of armed slavers so he had no choice but to keep quiet and out of sight as he waited to be lead to the room.

30 minutes had passed and he was starting to fidget at the horrified stares of the woman crumpled on the floor and the snickers from the armed men in the corner when the same man came and motioned him to follow.

"She was given 3 jets but if she's still too much trouble call and we'll give her stronger stuff." He pulled the curtain off to the side and Charon had to bend down to get through the room.

It was small and a large dirty bed rested in the middle of the room where Ana sat, hunched over with her arms out in front of her. He could see holes all around the crook of her elbow where they punctured her with various drugs and that disgusting collar was around her neck. Her hair had grown and they hadn't bothered to wash it as it fell in front if her hiding her small body covered with sexy nightwear that was once pink and clean.

She was mumbling to herself as he bent down beside her and when he lifted her face her eyes were wide and tears fell down her cheeks. "Just get it over with." She kept whispering over and over again not looking directly at him but passed him towards the dark wall.

"It's me, Charon." He said forcing her to look at him. "Ana, I'm getting you out of here."


	3. Revenge is a traitorous thing

She stared into his eyes, her own eyes darting up and down his face.

"Charon?" He could see the realization flood her features and she passed out falling into his arms. He braced himself to pick her up and grimaced at just how light she was and guilt filled him as he carried her bridal style towards the curtain. _How am I to get out of here?_

He poked his head out just as a man walked through the doors and began walking in his direction. He set her down on the bed and waited till the footsteps came close enough to where he could see his feet just under the curtain.

When they came into view he rapped his arms around the guys head through the curtain and pulled his neck to the side with a loud crack and let the body drop to the floor. Pushing the curtain to the side, he drug the man into the small room successfully flinging his body out of the armor he wore.

Luckily he was scrawny enough for her to wear his armor without it being too huge and changing her wasn't a big issue with how light she was but he needed to get the collar off of her neck. He fingered the object for awhile before trying to pry it open with no avail and decided to take a better look at it. On closer inspection there were controls on the back with wires poking to and from every side of the device.

His science skills weren't up to par with Ana's and he wasn't entirely sure he would be able to get it off of her without it exploding but he couldn't leave it on her. Charon debated whether he should pick her up and deal with it when he wasn't in danger or wait for her to wake up and help him but voices outside heading straight for them simplified his decision.

He grabbed her and flung her gently over his shoulder and grabbed his shotgun from his back. He walked through the curtain brandishing his weapon out in front of him and shot the first man in the head spewing blood and skin parts on the mortified man behind him. He must have been new because he didn't stick around and Charon followed through the door rounding the corner to run behind the building behind the gate of slaves.

It was quiet for awhile but as the new guy told Beast what happened, yelling and gun shots were heard all around. He watched from behind the building as people went in and out of buildings with slaves at their feet as they moved them inside the train carts out of the line of fire.

Ana began to squirm on his shoulder and he flipped her off him and propped her on the wall of the building letting his hands keep her still. She didn't wake up suddenly like he thought and when she looked around her eyes grew wide again and she grabbed her head.

"Aw shit!" She held onto her head in her hands and groaned.

"Are you well?" Charon asked. It was a dumb question but what was he to ask? Seeing her awake now left him haunted of the last time he saw her.

She looked up at him with one eyes squinted and one palm on her left temple much like the last time he saw her and she lifted her hand to touch his cheek. "Charon, I can't believe you're actually here."

He saw something knew in her. Her expression filled with sadness and anger and..guilt? He wasn't sure.

"Yes. We are in trouble and I need your help"

She looked at him quizzically and he pointed to the hunk of metal around her neck. Her hands shot up and began fingering the object.

"I tried once but...I can't see it. Charon, what if they activate it?" She looked up at him, face contorted into something of fear and a silent sorry.

"Walk me through it." He said setting his shot gun on his back but found he didn't know what to do with his hands.

Her face turned pale and she clutched the device like it was the only thing keeping her alive and shook her head.

"We need to get it off you, trust me." Finding bravery he placed his hands on her waist and turned her around so her back was to him. He brushed her hair to the side and opened the panel box and felt her shudder as he touched her neck.

"O..okay, um...first tell me what you see?"

He clutched the device towards the sun.

"Wires and a silver box inside."

"Do NOT touch the box!" She said loudly making him jump.

"Be more quiet!" He whispered harshly.

"Sorry..from what I can remember there are 5 wires right?"

"Yes."

"Okay we need to cut them in order but I'm..not sure I know the order."

They sat in silence before she sat up surprising the ghoul. "OH! wait wait..um. Do you remember when we were traversing through that town and I helped those slaves out of their collars?"

"Yes. Some did not make it."

"Yes..well some did and I remember putting the order in my Pipboy!" She exclaimed flipping open her Pipboy mumbling something about the scars from when they tried to take it off of her by force before Beast stopped them.

"I told myself i'd need this one day. Just wished it wasn't for this current situation. Okay ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He bent down and grabbed the knife he kept in his boot.

She read of the wires as clearly as she could trying to hide the panic in her voice. He cut each wire in succession and when the collar was off he unhinged it from her neck. An irritated red ring formed around her neck and she rubbed at it slowly feeling the skin that was occupied for the past 5 months. Charon brought his hand up and ran his own finger over the irritated skin causing her to shiver and regret fill him at her vulnerability.

He was angry. It was obvious by his breathing. He would never vocalize it but there was something hanging onto him. Some unspoken words he needed to get out but when was the right time when he didn't know himself what he wanted to say?

So he stayed there. Finger on her neck and regret filling his head as he hung it. Eventually he broke the silence.

"Can you stand?"

Her face was unreadable, unrecognizable even as she stood grabbing onto his shoulder for balance. Her shoulders squared and she tried desperately to fall back into unforgotten rhythm as she bent over and clutched the side of the building. Her breathing sped up and her face flushed while little beads of sweat glistened her forehead. She clutched the inside of her elbow and leaned into the building staring blankly into the open blue sky.

"My heart..it won't slow down." She breathed heavily.

He knew what she was going through and the anger he had felt when he strode into the camp heightened as she rubbed and itched at her arm.

"Withdrawals." He said without breaking contact with her darting eyes.

She sucked a breath in and gave a low laugh. It was maniacal and her eyes darkened with something he had never seen in her even when they made their way back to Underworld.

"Charon I want my gun." She peaked out from the side of the wall and the slight turn made her lose her balance and fall face first into the dirt. "Fuck!" She seethed and sat up against the wall brushing dirt off her face and resuming the arm rubs.

He bent down and wrapped his fingers on her wrist but she pulled away and glared at him. She didn't resume though and settled her arms over her legs and gently rocked herself back and fourth.

"I will be back. Stay here." He left quickly skidding across the sand towards one of the buildings.

She pushed herself up to watch him as he walked up a ramp to an unsuspecting slaver slouched across his sniper rifle scanning the ground for enemies. Charon grabbed the combat knife from his boot and grabbed the mans forehead pulling him back and running the blade along his throat and kicking him off the edge to tumble to the ground behind a broken down train cart.

He made his way back sniper rifle in hand and handed it to Ana.

"Do you think you can cover for me?" He asked pulling his shotgun from his back.

"I'm fucking shaking." She said running her hand along the barrel of the gun transfixed on the shiny metal she missed so much. "But I'll try."

"Just don't shoot me." He said taking off toward the building he saw Beast enter.

She grabbed a wooden crate next to her and flipped it over settling the gun on it and leaned over it looking through the scope. She focused a shot on another saver and lined in her sights. Her breathing was harsh and the adrenaline she had added to her nervous shaking forcing the bullet to hit the metal sheet protecting the man and not the man himself. It did however distract him enough to not shoot Charon and focus on her instead.

She pulled back the pin and let it come forward as a shot just barely missed her and hit the dirt right next to her legs. She cursed and focused on the man once more who was reloading his own gun.

"Calm down Ana. Breath." She mumbled and let out a slow breath through her nose and pulled the trigger.

She watched it sail through the air, time seeming to stand still as the bullet found it's target and he fell backwards letting the gun fall to the ground below. She sighed and closed her eyes letting her heart calm as seemingly lost memories found their way back to her unused limbs. Charon's shotgun could be heard in the background of her thoughts as well as the screams of the slavers meeting their fate to his bullets. He was a true force of nature.

She opened her eyes at Charon's scream and watched him kneel on the ground clutching his upper right chest as slavers advanced on his position. She regained her composure and knelt over the sniper rifle with swift movements and focused on the recoil as slavers crumpled to their feet around her bodyguard. Soon every slaver that stood outside protecting the building was dead and she quickly picked up the gun weakly jogging towards Charon.

By the time she got there he had already stood and searched the ground for his weapon. She stood in front of him staring at the indent in his armor from where the bullet hit but didn't puncture.

"Are you ok?" She asked in a whisper.

He grunted in response and rolled his shoulder deeming it a minor wound that would most likely be just a nasty bruise and picked up his shot gun from where he dropped it, advanced towards the door.

They stood in front of the door neither one of them opening it.

"What if it's a trap?" She asked looking at Charon.

He bent down and ripped a frag off the belt of a dead slaver tossing it up before catching it again.

"Open the door and close it when I throw this in."

She nodded and walked up to the door holding the handle and nodded to Charon before swiftly cracking the door open. He plucked the pin out with his teeth throwing it in and throwing himself to the side which Ana did the same.

Screaming, a loud boom and a silence to top the cake.

He stood up brushing the dirt off and looked back to make sure Ana wasn't hurt and she stood leaning on the sniper rifle.

"That thing is almost as tall as you are." He said shaking his head walking up to the door.

"Yeah? I think it suits me." She said following suit.

He cracked it open looking in to see black smoke and crimson walls with bits of human flesh in every nook and cranny of the room. He grinned pushing the door open more but held his hand out to her.

"You won't want to see this."

"For what they did to me, yes I do." Her face was pain stricken and he hesitated before letting his hand down.

She stepped through the door putting her arm up to her nose and nearly gagging on the stench of dead and gun powder. It was her personal battlefield and a contentment washed over her as she stared at the dead bits of flesh. He could see the tension she had been holding since her withdrawals started slowly fade as she left her footprints through the blood soaked floor.

Charon pushed passed her just in case any unlucky person survived and out of the corner of his eye he could see a door being pushed off the wall.

Beast coughed furiously and looked around mortified at the destruction of his colleagues before settling eyes on the towering ghoul and furious woman behind him.

"Aw baby. You killed my men!" He motioned around looking directly at Ana.

"I'm not your baby!" She seethed.

Charon felt a familiar anger flood through him and he took large steps backing Beast into a corner, nostrils flaring and chest heaving up and down. If looks could kill, Beast would be dead with in seconds.

He was shivering and shriveled into a ball pleading for his miserable life before Charon grabbed his neck and lifted him off the ground constricting the air flow and causing his face to turn purple.

He felt a cold hand on his arms and he was snapped from his trance and dropped Beast as he looked at Ana who was now standing by him glaring down at the man coughing uncontrollably again. She looked up at Charon and brought her other hand up shaking an object from side to side between her fingers.

There was no smile but the glint in her eyes reflected on the silver collar that now wrapped around Beast neck despite his protest.

As they walked out of the building they heard

Screaming, a loud boom and a silence to top the cake.


	4. Desolation is a traitorous thing

Charon had insisted that he carry her for their journey to Megaton because she could barely stand but she just pushed him away and mumbled that she needed to build her strength back. The guilt he felt weighed down on him heavily with each step he took but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to her.

After she killed Beast she had collapsed and cried for hours. He hadn't noticed her get up and start walking off when she did but when he caught up to her she had stopped crying and there was no life in her eyes. The sorrow he felt watching her drag her feet and occasionally trip over nothing was indescribable and he wished there was something he could do other than follow her blindly.

He figured out that if he moved a little she would match his steps and change in the direction and ever so slowly he turned them around towards Megaton. When they made it she placed her forehead on the metal door and cried some more while he shooed the merchant away that tried to talk with her. He eventually pushed the doors open and she caught herself before falling and moved her feet without purpose.

He lead her to her dwelling and laid her down in her bed covering her with her blankets before leaving for his own room right above the stairs. He sat down on his bed and placed his head in his hands trying to wrap his head around what he was going to do. Her acting like this was painful to watch and he knew it was entirely his fault. If he had just turned on the radio sooner.

He took off his armor and let it fall to the floor before collapsing on his bed and falling asleep.

He woke when he heard a crashing sound from the bathroom and instinctively jumped from his bed and grabbed his weapon. The door was wide open and Ana was leaning over the sink shaking uncontrollably grasping onto the edge of the sink with bloodied knuckles. Her hair was unevenly cut and mangled and the scissors were still clasped in her hand. She had punched the mirror and she stared at the broken pieces laid in the sink scowling at her reflection.

"Ana?" He said hesitantly.

Her knees gave out and she fell onto the broken glass throwing the scissors in his direction which he dodged.

"GO AWAY!" She screamed.

"Ana, your kneeling on glass." He said as sympathetically as he could.

He bent down to pick her up but she flailed her arms and socked him right in the face before pushing him back making him fall right outside the bathroom door. She back up further into the bathroom clutching herself as she shook and buried her head in her knees.

He was shocked and held his cheek as she occasionally glared daggers in his direction. He sighed and stood up wincing at the bullet wound still in his shoulder but walked back into his room and closed the door.

He heard her thumping footsteps as she ran from the bathroom and began banging on his door. He quickly opened it and she lunged at him wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

"Charon, I'm so sorry please...god..please don't leave me.." She whimpered into his neck and he wrapped his arms around her torso and sat on the bed cradling her in his arms.

His heart beat picked up as he held her shivering form and he admitted it felt nice despite what happened previously.

"I'm not leaving." He said simply, rubbing her back slowly.

She was beautiful despite the mangled mess now on her head but he couldn't bring himself to look at her as the guilt ate away at his heart. She had fallen asleep and he let her fall onto his bed as he slowly got up and began to clean the bathroom of glass and blood.

He held a broken piece of glass up to his bare chest and examined the bullet wound. There was no exit hole and although he hated to admit it, the bullet would need to come out immediately. He went downstairs and pulled out a bottle of scotch and searched the shelves next to the fridge for any tweezers.

Wadsworth putted over to him and offered his medical assistance but Charon quickly refused seeing as he didn't want to be sawed in half. No luck on tweezers so he made his way back to the bathroom taking out the knife from his boot and sterilized it with the scotch. After pouring scotch on the wound and biting his tongue as not to scream he held the mirror in front of his chest and placed the knife at the entrance of his wound.

A sharp gasp from the door made him jump but relaxed when he saw Ana with her hand on her mouth.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

"I have to get the bullet out." He said positioning the mirror and knife again.

"Here." She grabbed the knife and threw it to the floor and grabbed his wrist pulling him out of the bathroom.

"Hey!"

"Sit on the couch." She said letting go of his wrist.

She walked to the locker beside the door and after digging around inside pulled out a little white box with a red plus on the front. She knelt in front of him and opened the box producing not only tweezers but other medical related items.

"I can do it." He said and she placed her finger up shushing him.

She wasted no time in prodding the tweezers in his wound and he growled loudly turning away from her to stare at the wall. She retracted the tweezers and he heard the clinking of metal to metal as she dropped the tweezers and bullet on the metal floor. She grabbed the gauze and wrapped his chest tying it off on his shoulder and placed her hand on the wound.

"It's my fault you got shot." She said looking at her hand.

He turned to look at her and he could see the sadness etched on her face. He placed his hand on top of hers and looked deep into her eyes.

"It's my fault for not coming for you."

"No, don't blame yourself for my stubbornness. You were just following orders and I was stupid and.." She trailed off looking down.

"I was suppose to protect you." He placed his hand on her cheek and she leaned into it looking up at him.

"I had a lot of time to think about it and I know if you'd found out earlier you would've come for me. The only one spewing news was Three dog and there aren't enough radios in Underworld to spread it. You had an excuse but what about the whole god damn wasteland? Charon, NO ONE came for me and after all I did for people they leave me to get raped and eventually murdered!?" She was crying as she practically yelled.

"I don't get it, Charon. I thought...I thought people...cared!" She choked on her sobs.

He embraced her again as she cried and she wrapped her legs around his waste.

"I promise nothing will happen to you again."

She sniffled and sat with her cheek against chest as he rubbed circles in her back.

"You're really warm." She said sighing as she clung tighter to him. Somehow in his arms she forgot everything that happened to her and the pain she couldn't help but feel envelope her.

He chuckled lightly. "Ghouls naturally run warmer."

He could feel her smile against his chest. "I like it. It's comforting. Promise me if things get bad you'll hold me like this again?"

"Of course." Her smile widened and she sighed lifting her head up.

She flipped her Pipboy open and checked the time, 7:56 AM.

"Are you tired?" She asked looking at Charon.

"No but you should rest."

She shook her head and got up from his lap. "I'm out of practice. Let's go explore." She smiled again.

"Very well but we should talk with Moira and get you new armor." He stood up pointing to her.

She looked down and grimaced at the slavers armor she was in. She quickly began undressing and Charon quickly turned around.

"What are you doing?" If his skin could do it, he'd be blushing. It's not like he hasn't seen her like this, why is he reacting this way? Maybe because they haven't seen each other for such a long time.

"I don't want to be dressed in this filthy shit anymore." She threw the clothes and they draped over Wadsworth. "Burn those. Outside!" She added quickly.

"Very well, Madam." He turned and puttered his way out the front door.

"Um. I can't go outside naked."

"I'll get you some armor from Moira. You can wait upstairs."

"Okay."

He walked up the stairs and retrieved his shirt off the bathroom floor and put his armor on over it grabbing his bag.

"Use the extra caps in the locker!" He heard her yell from her room.

He grabbed the money and made his way passed the burning pile outside in front of Wadsworth.

Moira had given him a really good discount hearing the news of Ana's rescue. She even went upstairs and brought down a bag that was a present she meant to give Ana after the Wasteland Survival Guide was finished but one of her science experiments went wrong and she forgot all about it. Said she would have more use for it now than she would have before. He didn't question it and left to head back home.

He knocked on Ana's door and she opened it unabashedly showing him her naked form and he quickly closed his eyes and scowling.

"Ana! You're naked!"

"Yeah, and? You've seen me practically naked before."

"Yes but.." He stopped

"But what?"

"Nothing. Here." He shoved the bag towards her with the armor draped over it. "It's from Moira. I'll be downstairs."

She closed the door behind her placing the armor on her bed and pulling a barely worn bra and panties out of the bag. She smiled and placed the fabric on her body along with her new armor.

She walked down the stair to see Charon packing equipment for their adventure.

"Bra and panties?" She asked smirking at him

"What?" He said looking at her quizzically.

"In the bag. Did you not know?" She made her way to her assault rifle and new sniper.

He shook his head looking down at his bag.

"Oh. Well now you do. You think I could take both of these? I want to practice my new baby." She rubbed the barrel of the sniper rifle with her index finger.

"I wouldn't see why not. Are you sure you want to head out?"

"Of course. I thought I was going to rot there. I miss the outside world as hard as that is to believe." She placed the sniper on her back and carried the assault rifle in her hand. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."


End file.
